It’s moving into November, and the Egyptian winter is almost upon us. The year is almost over, and many of us are desperately trying to pick ourselves up before New Year’s Eve.
To help you with that, here are 10 quotes from history’s prolific genius, Leonardo Da Vinci.
Leonardo Da Vinci was regarded as a one-man machine, or a polymath (someone with a wide set of skills). He was history’s ultimate genius or Renaissance man, whose work spanned inventing, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history, and cartography.
He would have probably just as been great at marketing too, and in that spirit, let’s have him teach us a few things.
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“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Sometimes we get lost in the growing world of marketing, and we forget that sometimes the simplest things are those that our audience loves the most.
“I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.”
Many of us study theory, and many of us constantly look at numbers and presentations about what to do, but do we do? Are we doing things?
We want to use the knowledge we have gained, and we want to do. Yet, we simply like to be lazy! Let this be a lesson, let’s go and do!
“It is easier to resist at the beginning than at the end.”
Things such as worry and fear keep us from starting projects, but using Da Vinci’s words, by starting it, we can avoid those fears and get things done.
“Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer.
Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”
Many of us are guilty of working on our weekend, on our off days and even on family birthdays.
There have been many many studies and articles on the subject, and a majority of them agree, take the weekend off! It’ll always be better for you in the long run.
“An average human looks without seeing, listens without hearing, touches without feeling, eats without tasting, moves without physical awareness, inhales without awareness of odour or fragrance, and talks without thinking.”
Another quote in the spirit of taking a step back.
Sometimes we don’t take time to absorb what we are doing, or not taking the time to appreciate the good work we have done.
Take a step back, see your accomplishments, hear those praises, slowly chew that delicious meal, and take time to really communicate.
“Patience serves as a protection against wrongs as clothes do against cold. For if you put on more clothes as the cold increases, it will have no power to hurt you.
So in like manner you must grow in patience when you meet with great wrongs, and they will then be powerless to vex your mind.”
Patience can also be taken as preparation in this context.
Preparing things in advance, preparing and planning work will keep things from overwhelming you.
“He who loves practice without theory is like the sailor who boards ship without a rudder and compass and never knows where he may cast.”
In our digital boom, many companies, content creators and marketers have jumped on the bandwagon without much thinking or even studying.
Unprepared, unplanned and failing, these are the people that Da Vinici speaks of here. Theory, preparation and patience are some of the main things we all need to find our way to success.
“Art is the queen of all sciences communicating knowledge to all the generations of the world.”
As marketers, we create our own art for the world.
Through print and video ads and content, we create art that is consumed by the masses. Whether it can really communicate the knowledge we wish it to is what we need to work on.
A wave is never found alone, but is mingled with the other waves.
Always remember, you are not alone.
A successful campaign comes from a strong team and is a part of your wave of success.
“To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art; Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”
Lastly, getting a clear view and understanding of everything needed for a great campaign.
To develop a complete plan, you need to understand theory, practice and the emotional values we want to communicate.
Everything we do in our campaigns are connected, from different medias to the colors we choose, so we need to understand as many aspects as possible.